Side-bar vehicle



B. FORD & J'. T. FELLOWS;

Side-Ba: Vehicle.

No'. 223,496. Patented Jan. 13, Isso.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE FORD AND JOHN T. FELLOVVS, OF ROOKFORD, ILLINOIS.

SIDE-BAR VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,496, dated January 13, 1880.

' Application ined Api-i1 29, 1319.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, EUGENE FORD and JOHN T. FELLOWS, of the city of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Side-Bar Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class generally known as side-bar 7 vehicles, usually employed in pleasure and speeding carriages.

` The object of this invention is to produce a gear for vehicles in which the elastic properties of the springs employed may be utilized throughout their entire length, and to embody therewith what is known in the art as the equalizing feat-ure,7 by means of which the vertical movements of the spring will to a considerable extent be in unison, and to prevent the endwise swinging or jutting 1novement of the body mounted on the springs common in this class of vehicle. These and other features, hereinafter to be described, in connection with the devices employed and their several combinations,form the subject-matter of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure l is an isometrical representation of a vehicle-gear embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical transverse section through the kin g-bolt connection of the bolster with the forward axle-tree.

In the figures, A represents the iron portion of the axle-tree, having its outer ends, c, made in spindle form to receive the carryingwheels to revolve thereon. B represents the Wood portion of the axle-tree tted to the upper face of the iron portion. These parts are bound and held to each other by suitable screw-clips :represented at b and c. The clips c, however, are provided with ears projecting from the forward side of the axle-tree, and are adapted to receive the thill or pole irons.

These parts, in every particular, are 'substancenter of the plate is provided with a hole to receive a king-bolt, and is surrounded with an uprising rim or boss, which enters a hole prepared for its reception in the center of the upper portion, e, of the metallic jointplates.

O is a bolster, substantially the same as holsters now in commonuse, and to its under face is fixed the metallic joint-plate c by means of screw-bolts which pass through a suitable metallic plate, f, placed upon its upper face side, through the bolster, and into the jointplate, which tix these parts firmly to each other. D represents side bars, which are ofthe usual form. The under faces of their forward ends are fitted with a metallic connectingplate, g, the forward end of whichenters between the forward ends of the side bars and the outer ends of the bolster, at which points these parts are firmly fixed to each other by means of screw-stirrup bolts h, which embrace the outer ends of the bolster, and their screw ends pass upward through the connectingplates and through the side bars and receive screw-nuts, by which the parts are clamped and firmly held to each other. The rear ends of the connectingplates g are extended, curving down and outward, and are fitted with a step, t'. These step portions of the plates are fixed to the side bars by a screw-clip having its screw ends passed through the T-for|ned rear end of the bracesj.

The forward ends of the braces j meet on the under center of the forward axle-tree, at which pointthey are formed to receive the king-bolt 7c, which is passed centrally through the bolster and axle-tree to connect the parts.

lis a forward central arm of the braces j, which extends in front of the axle-tree, curving upward, having its end portion fitted in T form to meet the front face of the bolster, to which it is secured by suitable screw-bolts. m are springsupporting arms, which project from the inner edge 'of the connecting-plates g immediately in rear of the bolster. These arms are fitted to receive thewforward end of a side spring, and their inner ends are supported 'iu the rearward-projecting portion of the curved brackets u, which are fixed to the rear face of the bolster. i

The rear ends of the side bars are provided on their under side with a connectingplate, o, which enters between it and the axle-tree. These parts are firmly xed to each other by means of a screw-stirrup, p, which embraces IOO the axle-tree, having its screw ends pass up- Ward through the connecting-plate and side bar and receive screw-nuts, by which vthe parts are clamped and firmly held to each other. The forward ends of these connecting-plates o are fixed to the side bars by a screw-clip in the usualV manner of securing such work in the manufacture of carriages.

r represents braces, the rear ends of which are fixed-to the outer portion of the rear axletree by the screw-ciips which fix the wood and iron portions thereof to each other. The forward ends of the braces r are made in angleplate form, as at s, to embrace the lower outer angle of the side bars, to serve as rub-irons to protect the wood from the grinding action of the wheels in turning, and are also formed with a cross-bar, which receives the depending screw ends of a screw-clip, by which they are xed in place on the bars. These braces, in connection with the forward braces, j, serve to hold the gear in a rectangular form and to counteract any action tending to change it therefrom.

The connecting-plates o are formed with bearings t, depending from their under sides immediately forward of the axle-tree. These bearings are bored to receive the journal ends of the equalizing-bar E in such a manner as to oscillate therein freely. This equalizing-bar E is fitted with ears u, which project therefrom immediately inside of the side bars. These projecting ears are adapted to receive the rea-r ends of a side spring, and are bored near their free ends to receive a pivot-bolt.

F are side springs, constructed of leaves from plate-bar material in the usual manner,

having their forward ends formed with eyes to receive the spring-supportiilg arms m, and their rear ends formed with eyes to enter between the ears u and receive a suitable pivot-- bolt, which is passed through the ears and springs. w are seat or body supports, preferably made from spring material in the curved form represented in the drawings, and are iixed 1o the springs at proper intervals by means of screw-clamping stirrups x, fitted to embrace the springs, having their screw-arms passing through that portion of the supports on the under side of the springs, and fitted with screw-nuts, by means of which the supports are held in position on the springs. These supports are designed to receive the body or seat on their upper out-curving ends, and xed in position thereon by means ofsuitable screwbolts.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in the use of the bolster-plates the draft-force will be exerted on the plate-connections, which will relieve the king-bolt from draft-strain, and, in the. unyielding forward connection of the springs with the forward connecting-plates of the side bars and withY the bolster, prevent the usual unsatisfactory endwise swinging or jutting movement of the seat or body Amounted on the springs; and in the employment of the equalizing bar connection of their rear ends with the connecting-plates of the side bars we retain all the beneiits arising from this feature without exerting any force therefrom on the connection of the side bars with the rear axletree; and by means of the seat or body supports fixed to the sprin gs to relieve their centers we utilize the elasticity of the springs throughout their entire length. By placing the springs inside of the side bars we relieve them from coming in contact with the wheels in turning. Y

These and other advantages herein described, in connection With the construction and the devices employed, enable us to produce a superior side-bar vehicle at a small cost.

We claim as our inventionl. The combination, with the rear axle and side bars secured thereto, of connecting-plates provided with depending bearings, said plates secured to the under side of the side bars and upper surfaces of the rear axle, and an equalizing-bar, the ends of which are supported in the depending bearings of said connectingplates, substantially las set forth.

The combination, with the side spring and side bar of a side-bar vehicle, of a con-4 necting-plate secured to the under side of the side bar, and provided at one end with a bearing for the end of the spring and at its oppov site end with a step, substantially as set forth. 3, As a new article of manufacture, a plate provided with a spring-supporting arm on one end and a vehicle-step on its opposite end, substantially as set forth. n

EUGENE FORD. JOHN T. FELLOWS.

Witnesses:

L. S. ALLEN, A. 0. BEHEL.

IOO 

